Caitlin Clark’s rookie season is formally over.
She and the Indiana Fever had been sweep victims of the Connecticut Solar and DiJonai Carrington in a sequence the place Carrington gave the rookie a black eye in Recreation 1 and Clark needed to have an opposing fan eliminated in Recreation 2. All of the whereas, she solely managed a 35% discipline aim share and simply 20% from 3.
However it was hardly the primary tough week Clark had since faculty. The WNBA has been a punishing surroundings on a number of layers for the rookie phenom. And as nice as her expertise to be, she typically needed to face even better obstacles and scrutiny as a result of transcendent highlight that was at all times above her.
Here is a glance again on the strangest, hardest and most painful rookie moments that Clark needed to expertise, all earlier than turning 23:
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever reacts through the second half in opposition to the Washington Mystics at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on July 10, 2024, in Indianapolis. (Michael Hickey/Getty Pictures)
Being pressured to present a ‘Glad Birthday’ efficiency
So far as unusual or exhausting moments go, this one really is not even unique to Clark. She was merely being indoctrinated right into a ritual inside the Indiana Fever. Clark needed to sing Glad Birthday to Fever teammate Lexie Hull on Sept. 13, which is customary for Fever rookies.
“It is a robust job,” Clark mentioned.
However Clark, being the one Fever rookie, needed to give a solo efficiency, she advised reporters that day. The Fever had three picks on this yr’s draft, however their different two picks, Celeste Taylor and Leilani Correa, didn’t final lengthy with the workforce. Taylor now performs for Phoenix and Correa is a free agent.
Getting known as the ‘B’ phrase on ESPN
ESPN host Pat McAfee used his nationally televised present on June 3 to discuss with Clark as a ‘white b—-’ throughout a debate over whether or not she alone was answerable for an inflow in reputation of the WNBA and the way different veterans had been committing questionable fouls in opposition to Clark.
“I would love the media those that proceed to say, ‘This rookie class, this rookie class, this rookie class.’ Nah, simply name it for what it’s – there’s one White b—- for the Indiana workforce who’s a famous person,” McAfee mentioned.
McAfee later needed to apologize for the feedback however has continued to do his present on ESPN airwaves.
Almost getting suspended over calls she disagreed with
Clark completed the common season with six technical fouls. If she had accrued yet another earlier than the final recreation of the season, she would have been dealt a one-game suspension, which might have left a darkish mark on her in any other case pristine rookie season.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark questions the dearth of a foul within the second half of a WNBA basketball recreation in opposition to the Dallas Wings in Indianapolis, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Picture/Michael Conroy)
Clark even mentioned she disagreed with greater than one of many technical fouls that had been known as in opposition to her throughout a press convention after a loss to the Minnesota Lynx on Sept. 6.
“It stinks as a result of I really feel like half of my technicals this yr, I obtained one for that inadvertent contact to the face within the Minnesota recreation after which two for hitting the stanchion of the basket,” Clark mentioned. “One was a whole accident, after which the opposite two had been just a bit frustration with myself. So, I feel I might have completed a greater job preserving my feelings in examine, however on the identical time, like, … actually?”
Clark’s head coach, Christie Sides, insisted Clark needed to transfer on.
Getting a black eye in her first playoff recreation
The Fever’s Recreation 1 loss to the Solar on Sunday concerned an incident within the first quarter when Carrington stabbed Clark’s eye along with her lengthy fingernail.
Carrington struck Clark whereas attempting to dam a move from Clark within the first quarter. Sluggish-motion footage confirmed Carrington bending her hand whereas coming down from the block try, pointing her nails in Clark’s face. Even worse for Clark, no foul was known as on the play.
Later within the week, Carrington mentioned the poke wasn’t intentional. Clark additionally mentioned she did not assume it was intentional when she was requested about it.
So as to add insult to harm, Carrington has additionally antagonized Clark and her followers on a number of events prior to now. On June 13, Carrington made a put up on X calling out Clark for not doing extra to talk out about individuals utilizing her identify for “racism” and different types of prejudice, although the rookie phenom has condemned racism and misogyny in public statements.
“Dawg. How one can’t be bothered by their identify getting used to justify racism, bigotry, misogyny, xenophobia, homophobia & the intersectionalities of all of them is nuts,” Carrington wrote. “All of us see the [s—]. All of us have a platform. All of us have a voice & all of them maintain weight. Silence is a luxurious.”
SUN STAR ALYSSA THOMAS RIPS FEVER FANS OVER ALLEGED RACISM AFTER ELIMINATING INDIANA FROM WNBA PLAYOFFS
Getting left off the US Olympic workforce
The choice to go away Clark off the U.S. girls’s Olympic basketball workforce sparked an uproar of backlash from followers, new and outdated.
It did not value the workforce a gold medal in Paris, nevertheless it did presumably stop the workforce from getting extra publicity and visibility through the Video games.
Daybreak Staley, the top coach of the reigning NCAA girls’s basketball champion South Carolina Gamecocks, who beat Clark and Iowa within the ultimate final season, even recommended Clark ought to have had extra consideration.
“If we needed to do it over again, the best way that she’s enjoying, she can be in actually excessive consideration of constructing the workforce as a result of she is enjoying head and shoulders above lots of people.”
Staley was a part of the committee that elected to go away Clark off the workforce.
Having alleged screenshots of a non-public dialog leaked by a WNBA legend
WNBA Corridor of Famer Sheryl Swoopes, the primary participant ever to be drafted by the WNBA, is now a girls’s basketball broadcaster and commentator. She has been criticized this season for being overly important of Clark at occasions. However her tried criticisms as soon as ventured near slander when Swoopes recommended that Clark performed 5 years at Iowa and obtained an additional yr of eligibility as a result of COVID-19 pandemic.
Swoopes made the feedback throughout an look on “Gil’s Enviornment” podcast in February in an effort to discredit the truth that Clark broke the NCAA all-time scoring document.
Then on Sept. 2, Swoopes posted alleged screenshots of a dialog with a contact named Clark through which she apologized for the statements.
Later that week, Swoopes even needed to host an X Areas occasion the place she defined why she made the false statements about Clark’s profession however mentioned she would not apologize to anybody else however Clark.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Getting knocked to the ground a number of occasions by Chicago Sky gamers on flagrant foul performs
Clark and the Fever discovered a transparent rival within the Chicago Sky this previous yr. Clark’s rivalry with Sky rookie Angel Reese dated again to their faculty careers earlier than this season. However Clark additionally obtained a wholesome introduction to Reese’s latest teammates in 4 video games between the 2 groups this yr.
Clark took an notorious unlawful hip examine from Chicago Sky ahead Chennedy Carter on June 1 when the Sky participant charged proper into the Fever rookie and knocked her down throughout a stoppage in play. Clark mentioned after the sport that Carter’s hit “was not a basketball play.”
Carter then refused to reply questions concerning the incident on the postgame press convention however used her social media to repeatedly criticize Clark.
“That’s that on that trigger beside 3-point taking pictures what does she deliver to the desk man,” Carter wrote in reply to a put up about her postgame press convention on Threads.
In August, Sky participant Diamond DeShields despatched Clark flying after which sliding throughout the hardwood on a play that was later upgraded to a flagrant-1 foul.
Diamond DeShields of the Chicago Sky runs into and is charged with a flagrant foul in opposition to Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever at Wintrust Enviornment on August 30, 2024, in Chicago. (Michael Hickey/Getty Pictures)
After the sport, DeShields posted a screenshot of her notifications checklist on Instagram, which included a string of hate feedback from a person. The feedback had been a few tumor DeShields overcame in 2020.
However Reese additionally obtained on this checklist when she slammed her arm onto Clark’s head whereas attempting to dam a layup in a recreation between the 2 groups on June 16.
Clark and the Fever can a minimum of take solace in figuring out they beat the Sky in three of their 4 conferences this yr.
Observe Fox Information Digital’s sports activities protection on X and subscribe to the Fox Information Sports activities Huddle e-newsletter.
